Date Night
by Kayami Naru
Summary: As Korra is getting ready for her date with Bolin, she thinks about how her feelings of Mako have changed and her feelings for Bolin have grown. She realizes that maybe Bolin was always the right one for her.


Korra fidgeted, her lips and eyebrows twitching under Asami's ministrations. The older girl grunted in irritation and glared at the avatar.

"Korra, stop moving! If you move too much, the make up will come out wrong and Bolin will laugh and call you a clown!" Asami snapped, wiping the smeared eyeliner from under Korra's eye so that she could try again. Korra muttered an apology and sighed.

"Sorry, I'm not used to wearing make up! There's no real make up in the water tribes, save for weddings and warrior paint. I've never worn it before!" she answered, trying to defend her nervous twitch. In reality, it wasn't really the make up that was bothering her. It was the idea of going out with her best friend and knowing it was a real date this time.

It had been nearly a month since Amon- '_Noatak_,' Korra mentally corrected herself- had gone missing. Unsuprisingly, when the Krew had gone to find Tarlokk, he had been gone too. Everything had settled around Republic City as it had begun to heal the fissure that the Equalists had created. It was hard work, plenty of fights had broken out and stores had been ransacked, people were still stirred up. Without a leader, though, the Equalists for the most part had broken apart and were no longer a group.

The air temple had been repaired and for now, Mako, Asami, and Bolin had decided to stay on the island. Korra was happy they were staying, it could get lonely when she didn't want to intrude on Tenzin's "family time", so it was nice to have friends close. However, things had also gotten a little weird. More than ever, Mako and Asami were close and coupley. Bolin chalked it up to them being happy to be alive and intact now that Noatak was gone. Korra had agreed and at first, that was all fine and good. It just meant she spent a lot of time with Bolin, which she was happy with.

Until she had started to develop strange feelings for her best friend. Before, she had always had eyes for his brother and the situation they were in allowed for lots of time with Mako. Now, though, they had no reason to be around each other alone or otherwise, so now Korra was seeing more than Mako. She was seeing Mako and Asami always in each other arms and she was always with Bolin. Having fun and laughing. And it was all good, all fun, and all comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Korra found herself missing the earthbender when he was training with his brother or wishing that he had been able to come get things with her in town as opposed to him helping Pema move things into Rohan's room. She was unsure of what this feeling was but one thing was for sure, it was totally foreign and throwing Korra off her center of balance.

Finally, after a very awkward bought of studdering and a bright blush, Korra had finally asked the boy if he wanted to go out with her. He had smiled, at first, asking if it was just as buddies. Korra's blush got worse.

"Ah, no," she remembers saying, "You know a date."

Bolin had gone wide eyed and lost his voice for a moment before he smiled and nodded.

"Sure, Korra. This friday?" Korra had nodded and the date was set.

And now it was Friday, and it had come with Korra sitting in Asami's room to get her make up done in a nice outfit with her hair done. And she was completely and totally out of her comfort zone in every way. She was used to fighting, to being in functional clothing with her hair out of her face and nothing itchy around her eyes. She sealed her lips against the complaints though and waited until Asami smiled and clapped happily as she straightened up.

"All done!" she cheered. "Now go have a good date." She winked as she shooed Korra out of the room. Butterflies were racketing around her stomach and Korra was chewing on her lips nervously when she walked out of the air temple and toward the long stone steps. She could see Bolin's broad back from where she stood and she couldn't help but smile at the power her radiated.

_'Even though he's soft as a kitten. It's like he's a teddy bear,'_ she thought with a snicker before she tapped his shoulder gently and grinned. He whirled around, flowers clutched in both hands and a blush on his cheeks. He appraised her with his forest green eyes quickly before smiling and offering the flowers. Korra took them as he talked and lead her down the stairs.

"You look gorgeous. Not that you don't always look gorgeous, but it's different tonight before you look different. Not bad different though, just different, but very pretty though," he said quickly, the blush rising to the tips of his ears. Korra smiled gently and nodded in understanding.

"Thanks, Bo, you certainly cleaned up well," she teased as she nudged him with her elbow. The earthbending boy smiled and took her hand, the one not holding the flowers, carefully and squeezed it.

"Thanks, Korra." And she kenw that he wasn't just thanking her for the compliment. Korra smiled and blushed lightly before squeezing his hand back.

"Just bummed I didn't realize it sooner," she whispered.


End file.
